Some automotive vehicles are equipped with vehicle dynamic stability controls that apply braking force at specific corners of the vehicle to initiate changes in vehicle yaw rate. But the application of a braking force at a specific corner also creates a body pitch motion at that corner that can cause a tilting motion of the vehicle body around a diagonal axis. For example, in order to reverse an excessive yaw rate to the right, the stability control may apply a braking force at the left front corner of the vehicle, or a greater braking force at the left front corner than at the right front corner. But this also produces a downward pitch of the left front corner of the vehicle and a reacting upward pitch of the right rear corner of the vehicle that essentially create a tilting motion of the body about a diagonal axis with the left front corner of the vehicle dipping and the right rear of the vehicle rising. A similar movement, with the right front corner dipping and the left rear corner rising, tends to result from application of a greater braking force to the vehicle brake at the front right corner to initiate a vehicle yaw rate change in the opposite direction. Such body movement may be undesirable to occupants of the vehicle.
Many automotive vehicles have suspensions that vary damping force in response to control commands determined by a computer controller, in order to improve overall vehicle ride comfort and handling. Such systems are generally responsive to vehicle body motions to reduce the diagonal body tilting motion described above, but such general response requires the undesirable body motion to occur and be sensed before the system can react to it. In addition, since the cause of the undesirable body motion is not known by such a system, the response must be general in nature and may not be optimal for the specific dynamic situation.
It is also known in the art to provide a signal indicating activation of a vehicle brake pedal or braking system generally to provide immediate stiffening of both front suspension dampers so as to minimize brake induced vehicle pitch (dive). But such systems do not optimally control a pitch on only one side, with a resulting tilting of the vehicle body around a diagonal axis.